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Category Archives: Mental Health

The national nonprofit organization Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) estimates 10 million adults have ADHD. We hear more about ADHD in children, but 30 percent to 70 percent of kids with the disorder continue having symptoms into adulthood. In adults, ADHD affects men and women equally. ADHD is a developmental disorder that has emotional, intellectual, behavioral and physical symptoms. These symptoms include distractibility, impulsivity and hyperactivity. They can cause problems in your relationships, as well as your…

The broiled fish filet with steamed broccoli and rice you had for dinner last night and the salad you opted for over the hamburger at lunch yesterday may be doing more for you than just keeping your waistline in check. It may be giving your mental health a boost as well. Medical researchers have long known that people who are depressed tend to eat greater quantities of fast food. New research suggests, however, that by simply changing their diet, depressed…

For most of my life, I lived in Pennsylvania and for a while in Ohio. What these states have in common are the dark, dreary, depressing winter months. For me, they were really depressing because I suffer from SAD, seasonal affective disorder. I even ordered a therapeutic lightbox from Alaska, which I willed to my former officemates in Cleveland when I moved to Florida. I’m not the only one who gets depressed during the dark months of the year. SAD…

Victims may appear happy when in fact they’re not In the days just prior to the moment in which she took her own life, world renowned fashion designer Kate Spade was described as happy, jovial and in good spirits by friends and family members. Three days later, friends and associates of Anthony Bourdain were saying the same thing after the celebrity chef took his own life while he was on location in France shooting an episode of his CNN TV…

There is a big debate in this country and others over the effect of screen time on our kids. Some experts say the constant use of tech devices has a negative impact, while others argue tech use has many benefits. My thought is that the use of smartphones, tablets, laptops and more has both. Use just has to be moderated. Let’s look at both sides of the issue before deciding what to do. The Verge.com ran a great article detailing…

May is a great month. Spring’s in full bloom (which isn’t entirely GOOD news for those of us with allergies), and it’s time to celebrate our very special Moms. There’s another tradition we celebrate in May. Having been deemed Mental Health Month it is the time we become more aware of mental health and mental illness. Mental illness is a big issue, and there’s still a lot of misinformation about it swirling in the air. For starters, the American Psychiatric…

It happens every 98 seconds. Someone in the US becomes a victim of sexual assault. So says this article from HuffingtonPost.com. That works out to more than 570 people who fall prey to sexual violence every day. April is National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. It’s a good time to think about this problem and aim at preventing it. There’s a lot more to know about sexual violence. According to the Bureau…

According to a survey report from the American Psychological Association released last month, more than half of Americans consider the present the lowest point in US history they can remember. This conclusion came from people of every generation including those who lived through Word War II and Vietnam, the Cuban Missile Crises and the attacks on September 11. The purpose of the survey was to measure stress in America. If we’re already stressed, how are we going to handle the…

Body aches are often an unfortunate but normal part of aging. But the widespread, chronic pain that comes with fibromyalgia can be debilitating, robbing our “golden years” of much of their luster. Late in her life, my maternal grandmother, who died in December 2000, often complained that her legs hurt. At that time, fibromyalgia wasn’t part of the discussion, so we dismissed her discomfort as a side effect of her Parkinson’s disease and/or an unfortunate consequence of living into her…

This month, let’s take a closer look at a very serious issue facing our nation: the prevalence of domestic violence. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) reports that an average of 20 people in the United States are physically abused by intimate partners every minute. That adds up to more than 10 million victims of abuse every year. Domestic violence is epidemic. It affects all people regardless of race, age, gender, nationality, sexual orientation or socioeconomic status. It can…